Say Hello To The Nintendo Switch Lite

On September 20th 2019 you can choose to buy a Nintendo Switch Lite over the original and higher specification Nintendo Switch, Nintendo announced.

Pitched as a dedicated handheld device, the Switch Lite is compact, light and doesn't output to a TV. A comparison shared by Nintendo is as follows:

So, if you decided to go for the Switch Lite you'd have no Joy-Cons, no TV output and ZL/ZR buttons which will likely cause even more cramp for those who struggle with the original when the Joy-Cons are attached. On the flipside, it's much lighter, has better battery life and costs $100 less in the USA, which of course will equate to...less of a difference in the UK.

It's no surprise Nintendo has made this move. In the past they've talked about the 3DS family still being a real live thing for them, most vocally when Tatsumi Kimishima was President of Nintendo and just executing with excellence the plans laid out by the late Satoru Iwata. It's true that with the Lite's announcement Doug Bowser, President of Nintendo Of America, did say the 3DS would continue to be supported, but that's very different to saying it is the pre-eminent handheld device from the company. Obviously that hasn't been the case since the Switch was launched, and now this just makes it that bit more official.

This graph shows why the 3DS is now, effectively, a relic. Thanks to @Zhugex for creating and sharing: